The History of Data Storage: From Cassette to Holographic Storage and Back
By Christine Kern, contributing writer
The Final Frontier of Data Storage: An Infographic
A new infographic created by MediaWorks and EBuyer demonstrates the evolution of data storage, from its humble beginnings to the vast possibilities for the future. From IBM punch cards and magnetic tape reels, through the development of floppy and compact disks, to the commonly used USB flash drives and SD memory cards, data storage has travelled a long road of physical development. With the development of cloud storage, data moved to a digital realm that opened up a host of possibilities for computing solutions.
The future, according to this handy infographic, promises development that will take us beyond the final frontier of computing, including such technology as datastickies, DNA storage, helium drive technology, SMR (shingled magnetic recording) drives, multi-cloud storage, liquid-state storage, HAMR (heat-assisted magnetic recording) drives, and holographic storage. And, ironically, Sony predicts that our technology will come somewhat full circle with the return of cassette tape technology, with the development of a new magnetic cassette tape that can hold 148GB per square inch of tape.
For a look at the full history of data storage, see the infographic below.
